History of the Peloponnesian War

The following summer, when the Chians straightway urged them to despatch the fleet, and were afraid that the Athenians might get intelligence of their measures, (for all parties sent their embassies without their knowledge,) the Lacedaemonians sent three Spartans to Corinth, to haul the ships as quickly as possible across the isthmus, from the opposite sea to that on the side of Athens, and to give orders for them all to sail to Chios, both those which Agis was preparing for Lesbos, and the rest. Now the total number of the ships belonging to the allied states that were there was thirty-nine.

Calligitus, then, and Timagoras, acting in behalf of Pharnabazus, did not join the rest in the expedition to Chios, or give, to forward the despatch of the fleet, the money which they had brought with them, namely, five and twenty talents; but they intended to sail afterwards by themselves with a fresh armament.

Agis, on the contrary, seeing that the Lacedaemonians were determined to send to Chios first, did not himself maintain any different view; but the allies assembled at Corinth, and held a council, when they resolved to sail first to Chios, with Chalcideus as commander, who was equipping the five vessels in Laconia; then to Lesbos, with Alcamenes in command, (the same person as Agis intended to appoint;) and, lastly, to go to the Hellespont, where Clearchus, son of Ramphias, was appointed to the command.

But they determined to take only half the ships across the isthmus first, and let these sail off immediately; that the Athenians might not attend to those which were setting out, so much as to those which were being conveyed across after them.

For in this case they were making their expedition openly, as they imputed to the Athenians a want of power to oppose them, because no numerous fleet belonging to them was yet visible. And so, according to their resolution, they immediately took across one and twenty ships.